Dept. of Social Services conducts manpower audit

Dept. of Social Services conducts manpower audit
Social Services minister Frankie Campbell.

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – A manpower audit of the social services department is currently being conducted by Minister of Social Services and Urban Development Frankie Campbell. The effort is aimed at assessing its effectiveness and how best it will move forward in the new fiscal year.

The audit comes just five months after Campbell was appointed to the post.

“The importance of the manpower audit is to look at quantity and quality,” he explained.

“To consider what services are needed or what the qualifications might be for persons to provide those services, and to try to correct a situation where it often seems that we have square pegs in round holes.”

Despite progress being made in various areas, Campbell admitted that there is still more work to be done.

Campbell confirmed that his ministry will soon partner with private social outreach organizations to expand its overall reach.

“We believe that partnerships are actually the way to go. These organizations work throughout our communities so this will allow persons to get some of the assistance they need within the community that they live as opposed to having to come to one of our centralized offices,” he said.

“This doesn’t stop persons from being assisted by my ministry, but this could just serve as a compliment to what they would get.”

With thousands of Bahamians currently on social assistance nationwide, the minister confirmed that it won’t be long before the effects of the audit will be felt.

“Discussing it at this time could put us in a good position to do some things effective July 1, 2019,” he affirmed.

Moving ahead, Campbell said he wants to focus on, not only assisting persons to keep their head above water but to also help the underprivileged to get out of their present condition of having to rely on the state.

About Theo Sealy

Theo Sealy is an award-winning journalist who serves as senior broadcast reporter and weekend TV news anchor at Eyewitness News. He has achieved several career milestones, including his work as a field contributor with CNN, his coverage of four consecutive general elections, his production of several docuseries and his Bahamas Press Club Awards win for “Best Television News Story” in 2018.